Representations of the sea in the Folk imagination A study in traditional narrative Egyptian

This study aims to trace and culturally analyze the representations of the sea in popular imagination, particularly within Egyptian folk narratives related to the Nile. It examines the collective imagination of the sea, its symbolism, and its vitality in the narrative heritage, as well as the commonalities between literary genres concerning the sea, especially the Nile.



The study begins with a central myth from ancient Egyptian civilization—the creation myth featuring Isis and Osiris. It seeks to explore the dissolution of the myth and its symbolism, especially regarding the sea or the Nile, in popular ancient Egyptian stories that were translated into Arabic after hieroglyphic symbols were deciphered. Notable translations came from languages like French, particularly those influenced by Plutarch and Gaston Maspero's works. Among the most famous stories are The Eloquent Peasant, The Tale of Two Brothers, and The Shipwrecked Sailor. The study poses the question of whether these tales originated from the Egyptian creation myth and whether the sea, or the Nile in particular, played a role in enriching narrative creativity through its various functions.

This inquiry extends to living folk narratives, such as tales of the miraculous deeds of sea saints, which exist at the intersection of hagiography and legend. The question also resonates in some Arabic folk epics, many of which were recounted and recorded in Egypt, including The Epic of Bani Hilal and The Epic of Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan.